RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
13.
Isabella lay shivering on the bank of the river, looking up at the now blue sky and trying to stop the world spinning around her. Her good hand still gripped Hwestawen's and relieved tears fell from both Elves' eyes. "We are alive," they whispered in disbelief. "We made it."
"Yes," said the prince. "You did. Thank the Valar you are still alive, for I have something I must tell you, Isabella."
"Give me a moment," she replied breathlessly, "for I have something I must say to you as well."
She heard light Elven footsteps approaching and glanced up to see Herudir. He broke into a smile when he saw that they had been found and launched himself onto his sister, hugging and kissing her. "Oh, we were so worried! I am beyond happy to see you alive, Hwestawen! And Isabella. My heart sings to see the two of you again."
Isabella blanched and yelped in pain as he took both of her hands in his and squeezed tightly.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, letting go at once.
She nodded through fresh tears. "Thorn bush," she said. "Was the only thing I could take hold of."
"You did well, Cousin. You did well." He pulled a small parcel from a pouch on his belt and took her hand gently. "Not that I would expect any less from one of Forest River's finest warriors. Here. This will help with the pain." He applied a quickly concocted poultice to both sides of the puncture-wounds that riddled her hand and wrapped it with a clean bandage.
"Thank you," she whispered, relaxing slightly as the pain dulled.
"Now, I shall go and tell the others that the Ladies have been found. The king's guard has also joined the search, and His Highness has set camp just over that rise."
"The king is here?" asked the prince in surprise.
"Yes, Your Highness," replied Herudir. "And he has requested an audience with his son and the future princess as soon as it can be arranged. Here, I will take my sister back with me. Can you manage Isabella on your own?"
"Of course," he said. "I will be along shortly."
And before Isabella knew it, she was alone with the Prince of Mirkwood who gently helped her to sit up against a nearby tree.
"Isabella," he said, gently wiping droplets of water from her cheek with his thumbs. "There is something that I must tell you before you meet the king."
"Wait," she whispered. "Please. I… There is something I need to tell you first, before anything else is said."
"But-"
"Please. I will lose my courage if I do not say it now." She gazed into his noble blue eyes and gently reached for his hand. "I thought that I was going to die in that river, Legolas. I really did."
"But you did not perish in the water, My Lady." He smiled softly at her.
"No. I did not. And as I held onto that branch, I had some time to think about the way my life should have been; the way it should be if it did not end today."
His eyes searched hers. "And what did you decide? I fear the answer for the way you are looking at me."
The she-Elf had a fierce look in her eyes, as a warrior would have before battle. "My Prince," she said softly, "You have already said that you know my heart longs for Calen, and you are correct. I do love Calen deeply."
"He is a noble Elf," replied the prince quietly.
"And yet, you love me," she said, gazing upon him with sympathy.
"I cannot deny it," he said, a look of strong loyalty burning in his sapphire eyes.
"Then I shall try with all of my heart to return that love, Your Highness. This is my promise if you still desire me for your wife."
His eyes were suddenly filled with remorse and guilt and he reached out to touch her face. "Lady Isabella, you are one of the most extraordinary Elves I have ever met. Your loyalty to the throne of Mirkwood is amazing, and I do love you. But not as a husband should love his wife."
"What?" she asked, eyes wide. "Then why-"
"Please, Lady, forgive me for my deception. For I am not the Prince of Mirkwood," he said. "And it is to him that you are now betrothed, not to me."
A shocked silence engulfed her. She could say nothing, but could only stare at the Elf before her.
"My name is Angil, My Lady. I am the Captain of Prince Legolas' guard."
"Then who… Who is Prince Legolas?"
He leaned forward and smiled. "You and I call him by his nickname. Calen."
Isabella leaned her head against the tree, casting her eyes heavenward. She was bombarded with emotions. At once, she began to laugh; then moments later, to cry; then both at once. "I wanted to die."
"I am sorry," he said, "My Lady, it was at my insistence that this was done, to protect the prince, for his life was being threatened. We traded places that I would be targeted instead of him."
She shook her head. "I should have known. All of the things that you said and that he said. And when my aunt curtsied to him. She never forgets a face. Angil?"
"Yes, My Lady?"
"Please take me to Calen."
***START A/N*** "Calen" means "green" in Elvish. :) One more chapter to go! ***END A/N***
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
13.
Isabella lay shivering on the bank of the river, looking up at the now blue sky and trying to stop the world spinning around her. Her good hand still gripped Hwestawen's and relieved tears fell from both Elves' eyes. "We are alive," they whispered in disbelief. "We made it."
"Yes," said the prince. "You did. Thank the Valar you are still alive, for I have something I must tell you, Isabella."
"Give me a moment," she replied breathlessly, "for I have something I must say to you as well."
She heard light Elven footsteps approaching and glanced up to see Herudir. He broke into a smile when he saw that they had been found and launched himself onto his sister, hugging and kissing her. "Oh, we were so worried! I am beyond happy to see you alive, Hwestawen! And Isabella. My heart sings to see the two of you again."
Isabella blanched and yelped in pain as he took both of her hands in his and squeezed tightly.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, letting go at once.
She nodded through fresh tears. "Thorn bush," she said. "Was the only thing I could take hold of."
"You did well, Cousin. You did well." He pulled a small parcel from a pouch on his belt and took her hand gently. "Not that I would expect any less from one of Forest River's finest warriors. Here. This will help with the pain." He applied a quickly concocted poultice to both sides of the puncture-wounds that riddled her hand and wrapped it with a clean bandage.
"Thank you," she whispered, relaxing slightly as the pain dulled.
"Now, I shall go and tell the others that the Ladies have been found. The king's guard has also joined the search, and His Highness has set camp just over that rise."
"The king is here?" asked the prince in surprise.
"Yes, Your Highness," replied Herudir. "And he has requested an audience with his son and the future princess as soon as it can be arranged. Here, I will take my sister back with me. Can you manage Isabella on your own?"
"Of course," he said. "I will be along shortly."
And before Isabella knew it, she was alone with the Prince of Mirkwood who gently helped her to sit up against a nearby tree.
"Isabella," he said, gently wiping droplets of water from her cheek with his thumbs. "There is something that I must tell you before you meet the king."
"Wait," she whispered. "Please. I… There is something I need to tell you first, before anything else is said."
"But-"
"Please. I will lose my courage if I do not say it now." She gazed into his noble blue eyes and gently reached for his hand. "I thought that I was going to die in that river, Legolas. I really did."
"But you did not perish in the water, My Lady." He smiled softly at her.
"No. I did not. And as I held onto that branch, I had some time to think about the way my life should have been; the way it should be if it did not end today."
His eyes searched hers. "And what did you decide? I fear the answer for the way you are looking at me."
The she-Elf had a fierce look in her eyes, as a warrior would have before battle. "My Prince," she said softly, "You have already said that you know my heart longs for Calen, and you are correct. I do love Calen deeply."
"He is a noble Elf," replied the prince quietly.
"And yet, you love me," she said, gazing upon him with sympathy.
"I cannot deny it," he said, a look of strong loyalty burning in his sapphire eyes.
"Then I shall try with all of my heart to return that love, Your Highness. This is my promise if you still desire me for your wife."
His eyes were suddenly filled with remorse and guilt and he reached out to touch her face. "Lady Isabella, you are one of the most extraordinary Elves I have ever met. Your loyalty to the throne of Mirkwood is amazing, and I do love you. But not as a husband should love his wife."
"What?" she asked, eyes wide. "Then why-"
"Please, Lady, forgive me for my deception. For I am not the Prince of Mirkwood," he said. "And it is to him that you are now betrothed, not to me."
A shocked silence engulfed her. She could say nothing, but could only stare at the Elf before her.
"My name is Angil, My Lady. I am the Captain of Prince Legolas' guard."
"Then who… Who is Prince Legolas?"
He leaned forward and smiled. "You and I call him by his nickname. Calen."
Isabella leaned her head against the tree, casting her eyes heavenward. She was bombarded with emotions. At once, she began to laugh; then moments later, to cry; then both at once. "I wanted to die."
"I am sorry," he said, "My Lady, it was at my insistence that this was done, to protect the prince, for his life was being threatened. We traded places that I would be targeted instead of him."
She shook her head. "I should have known. All of the things that you said and that he said. And when my aunt curtsied to him. She never forgets a face. Angil?"
"Yes, My Lady?"
"Please take me to Calen."
***START A/N*** "Calen" means "green" in Elvish. :) One more chapter to go! ***END A/N***